How Winter Impacts Indoor Air Quality and What To Do About It

When the chill of winter starts to freeze your windows and you start to crank up the heat, many believe that winter weather doesn’t impact their warm and cozy interior, but it does!

How does winter impact indoor air? When we retreat into our homes to dodge the snowflakes and lean into holiday cheer, your air could give you the cold shoulder, and Comfort Systems is here to tell you why and what you can do to combat your indoor air’s winter blues!

Why Winter Worsens Indoor Air Quality

Reduced Ventilation

In winter, we head inside, keep our windows and doors shut tight, and turn the heat up, but how does this clog up your vents?

After dealing with summer’s heat and the chill of winter starting to creep in, many families immediately switch their heaters on without changing their HVAC filters or scheduling an air duct cleaning.

Without filter changes and cleaning out your ducts, pollutants like pet dander, dust, and more heat up and spread throughout your house, triggering pre-existing health conditions.

Trapped Pollutants

Whether you have a fireplace, space heater, or HVAC, these can release pollutants like dust into your house without proper cleaning or replacing filters.

Why does this happen? If you haven’t used it, it collects dust and other particles. When you turn it on, it heats those pollutants, blows them throughout your house, and continues to circulate!

What Can You Do About It?

Control Humidity Levels

Cold air doesn’t have much moisture, and using your heat can dry your house out even more, but too much humidity can lead to condensation or mold. A dehumidifier or humidifier can help regulate the moisture in your home to ensure your rooms feel perfect!

Use Air Purifiers

During the winter, your windows stay tightly shut, so an air purifier can be a game changer in fighting trapped pollutants. An air purifier will filter out dust, pollen, pet dander, and more in specific rooms to give you fresh air and make your house breathe easy!

Replace HVAC Filters Regularly

Many homeowners head online and search “When to replace HVAC filters,” and we’ve heard this question many times. During the winter, your HVAC works overtime to keep your house warm, but with clogged filters, pollutants can flood your home with poor air flow. You should change your HVAC filters every one to three months, depending on how often you use your HVAC.

Schedule an Air Duct Cleaning

Over time, your ducts collect dust, pollen, and other debris, and this not only affects your air quality but also puts strain on your heater. At Comfort Systems, our skilled team can clean out your ducts to improve air flow, remove hidden pollutants, and have you breathing easy again!

Get Ready This Winter

While indoor air quality may be something homeowners overlook, when winter comes along, the last thing you want is trapped pollutants irritating previous health issues, getting you sick, putting strain on your heater, and more. Still, with Comfort Systems, we can help you clear out your air ducts, recommend filters, and more to keep your family warm and safe!

Are you looking for service on your heater or air ducts? Visit Comfort Systems in Wichita, KS, today!